The Ocean's Daughter: Dying For a Dream is the Most Courageous Act of All

By Madison Wade

Fifteen-year-old Carter Ellen Key has lived her entire life on the waves, traveling across oceans on the merchant ship known as the Adventurer, a ship that she calls home. Orphaned at age seven, she held tight to the memories of her father and stories of her mother, turning to them for advice even after their deaths. The Adventurer's crew became Carter's family, and Captain Rosten made it his personal duty to keep her safe. This protection kept Carter from ever exploring the land, or even sinking her feet into the sand that surrounded the ports. The discoveries and mysteries that awaited her there remained in her daydreams. As her position aboard the Adventurer climbed and her relationships with the crew began to strengthen, her dream of discovering life on the land came within her grasp. But this dream comes at a great cost. It may even cost Carter her life, or worse, the lives of the ones she loves. The fantasies in her books were just that, fantasies. The real world beyond her small merchant ship is crueler than anything she could imagine. Carter will need to adapt and learn to provide for her own safety. She must decide if she will trust in her father's words—that is, if dying for a dream is the most courageous act of all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781644620779

Book preview

Chapter 1

Father

I followed Daddy’s gaze over the portside of the ship and out into the ocean. He was staring at a large ship that was sailing toward us. We didn’t see other ships very often while we were out at sea. Normally all I saw was the blue-green ocean waves and, every once in a while, the ports we stopped at. So Daddy always called me to the main deck when he saw a ship. I think he wanted me to meet other people like us. But the longer we stared at the ship and the closer it came to us, the more I noticed my dad’s expression move from joy to concern. Suddenly, Dad grabbed my hand, and I looked up at him.

Daddy, what’s wrong? I asked him. He looked down at me and gave me a smile, but I knew it was fake. There was worry behind that plastered smile. Never had he acted like this before, not while we were in the middle of the ocean at least. Sometimes at the ports he would get a little fidgety, but never out here, and most definitely never when he saw another ship. He looked back at the ship; I followed suit.

I don’t know, honey. I don’t know, he replied, letting go of my small hand and running his fingers through my thin blond hair. The ship was catching up to us. I leaned my head on Dad’s arm and watched the ship, curious and confused. Soon they raised a flag, and I raised my head with it. It was black and white. It had cross bones and a skull. Daddy told me about these ships. The sailors were called pirates. Dad said that pirates were more evil than the bad guys in my books. Pirates would storm onto a ship and take anything and everything—even people. I shuddered at the thought, and I felt Dad wrap his arm protectively around me, blocking my view of the ship. I looked up at him; he looked very scared and very angry. I had never seen him like this before. I grabbed his shirt as he held me close.

James, get her under deck! Dad yelled. I jumped in shock at his sudden demand. I looked up at him in surprise.

Daddy, I’m not going anywhere without you, I urged, tugging on his arm.

Hard to starboard, Fallier! he yelled, and then he turned to face me. Carter, I will never leave you, I promise. I stared at him, making sure he knew I was confused and scared. He nodded to someone behind me. I followed his eyes and saw James standing there, waiting for Dad’s command.

No! Daddy, don’t make me leave you! Daddy! I screamed as fear pulsed through my body. I felt tears in my eyes, blurring my vision. I quickly wiped them away and looked back up at him. Dad’s eyes softened, and he gave me a weak smile. Then he bent down so that his face was in line with mine. I tried to slow my breathing.

Carter, baby, calm down, he whispered softly in my ear. He took deep breaths, and I mimicked his actions. He gently rubbed my arms with his hands, then carefully guided strands of my hair back behind my ear. I love you, Carter, he murmured softly, looking at me in the eye.

I love you, too, Daddy, I sniffed. Then Dad kissed my forehead and hugged me. I hugged him back as tight as I could. Then I felt James pulling my shoulder. James grabbed my arm and began to drag me away from Daddy. I couldn’t hold the tears back any longer.

Daddy! Daddy! I cried. I glanced over the portside of the ship. The pirates were coming even closer. I could tell they were preparing to board our ship; the pirates were all running to their portside. Now I was shaking in fear. The evil men of the sea were coming to take my home. Take me. Take my Dad.

Daddy! I cried out again, but this time, it came out as a scream. The tears were rolling down my face, and nothing was going to stop them. James pulled on my arm hard as I fought him, trying to reach my father. Dad took his eyes off the pirate ship for only a moment. He gave me a loving smile and mouthed three words, I love you. I cried harder, and then suddenly I stopped. A loud thud echoed on the ship. Shock replaced the fear and sadness. My breathing quickened.

Dad! I screeched. Behind you! Dad quickly turned around and drew his sword. Behind him was a tall, muscular pirate. The blades hit; the sound rang through the air. As the echo faded, James shoved me in the hold. The evil pirates had boarded the ship. They were raiding my home.

Daddy! I screamed again before James closed the hold door. Just as the door slammed shut, I beat my fists against the hard planks of wood. I kept screaming for him and continued to hammer my fists on the door, hoping it would break. Slowly the scream turned into a cry, and from a cry to a mere whimper, and the whimper became the word I could only breathe between sobs. Eventually, my fists began to bleed, and I collapsed on the barrels behind me. I listened to the commotion above me. I kept calling for my father, but the only reply was the shouts of angry men and the echo of clashing swords. After what seemed like hours of calling Daddy! I cried myself to sleep. The weight of my tears kept my eyes closed all through the night. I knew that I had whispered for him in my dreams.

I woke up to the bright light of the sun. James was holding the door open, which meant the pirates had left. But I didn’t want to see James; I wanted to see Daddy. I got up and began to walk out the door. As I made my way out of the hold, James put his hand on my shoulder and stopped me. He whispered in my ear. I fell back onto the barrels in shock. My mouth hung open, and tears started to roll slowly down my cheeks. I no longer could go and see my dad. James reached for my hand, but I pulled it away and out of his reach. I heard each tear hit the planks of wood beneath me. I looked down at the floor and walked out of the hold and straight into my room, pushing back the crew members that tried to comfort me. For hours, I lay in my bed, crying until my blankets were soaked with tears. Walter, the new first mate, and James, the new captain, both tried to come in and comfort me, but I made them leave before they could take even two steps into my forecastle.

I curled up in a ball on the bed and stared at my door; my vision was still blurry from my constant crying. Of all the things that could have been taken, the evil pirates took my father. Every time the thought passed my mind, more tears slipped down my cheeks. It wasn’t fair. I stared at my door like he was going to walk through it, wrap me in his arms, tell me that he loves me, and that it was all a bad dream. He never did.

I fell asleep in my tears.

The next morning, I shoved whatever mournful feelings I had left deep in my heart. I knew that I couldn’t just hide in my room forever. Daddy wouldn’t want me to cry for the rest of my life. He wanted me to be happy. I took a shaky step out of my bed and toward the door; my legs were weak from crying. Slowly I opened the door and shuffled silently down the hall. I eventually found myself on the main deck. A wave of anger and grief flooded over me as I looked out at the deck. Jonathan was at the helm, and Captain James was behind him, where Daddy used to stand. Why are you gone? You promised to never leave me! I thought as I stared up at the sky. I sighed, but the shakiness of tears was still present. I would not let myself cry. If I cried, I wouldn’t want to stop. And I needed to stop. I returned to my thoughts, but this time, they came out as words.

Please keep your promise, I whispered to the sky. I hoped that he could hear me. I looked at the crow’s nest, my father’s favorite position. I took a step forward. It was heavy and seemed to vibrate my whole body. My father told me that steps were hardest when your heart is heaviest. For the first time, I understood what he meant. I looked back up at the crow’s nest, now seeing it as not only Daddy’s favorite position but mine as well. I took another step forward.

Chapter 2

Land

I was born on the ocean; I was raised on the water. My life revolves around the sea. My mother died giving birth to me, and my father was lost in a pirate attack when I was seven. Now I am fifteen years old. The men on my ship had become my family. My best friends were the dolphins. My name is Carter Ellen Key.

One more fact about me, I had never touched land—not once in my entire life. I’d only seen it when we went to the ports for supplies, which was only every three or four months. I’d heard stories of the sand. I’d smelled the forest only in my dreams. All I had ever wanted to do was touch the land, but it always seemed to be just out of my reach. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my home on the Adventurer. In the ocean, there was always something new to explore, and Captain always managed to find a new task for me to perform every day. I was always busy doing something. But I was still human, not a fish. Despite my efforts to convince Captain otherwise, a human out of land I remained.

Today, the wind blew my blond hair, which reached my waist, into thick knots that would probably take ages to undo. But I didn’t care. The salty air filled my nostrils. The sound of waves crashing against the ship filled my ears. It was a fairly normal day. And like most other days, I wondered what this day would be like if I lived on land. My silly daydreaming, as Captain liked to call it, used to not be a normal routine, though. When I was younger, I understood why my father didn’t want me venturing out onto the land; but I am older now, and things are different—or at least they should be.

Carter! yelled a man’s voice from behind me.

Yes, Captain? I quickly turned around to reply.

Fallier said that someone needed to fix some knots in the mainsails. Go up to the crow’s nest and untie them for me, will you? Apparently, the wind hit the sails really hard last night. Fallier, being the carpenter, was always inspecting the condition of the ship. Then he would report to Captain, who would order one of his crew members or me - though I was not a crew member, just a passenger - to fix the problem that Fallier had spotted. It was an endless cycle that I had grown to love.

Sure, I responded. As soon as we finished our quick conversation, I was climbing up the beams to the crow’s nest. The rough splintering wood felt normal to my forever calloused hands. I climbed up until I located the issue. I used the free ropes to swing over and balanced on the beam’s mast, untying the knots that Captain had mentioned. Captain was an older man with gray hair like the soft clouds before a rain. His eyes were a blue-green color like the ocean. He was tall, probably around a foot and a half taller than me, and despite his age, he was very strong. Captain was a man made for the sea; there was no other way to describe it.

Great, Carter, Captain yelled up to me. I nodded with a huge grin on my face. It may seem childish, but I cherished the approval of my captain. Slowly I jumped down beam to beam. Then I took my final leap and landed back on the main deck. Please, Carter, be careful coming down. You’re going to end up hurting yourself sooner or later. I rolled my eyes.

Are you kidding me? This ship won’t ever let me fall! I exclaimed. Once I regained my balance from the jump, I looked around me. The crew was working at various stations on the ship, such as the helm or the crow’s nest. The crow’s nest was my favorite position; from there I could see the beautiful ocean as the birds see it. Unfortunately, Captain had already stationed a crew member there.

I walked over to the edge of the ship and looked out to the ocean, my home. I felt a sudden urge to jump into the salty water, but I forced myself to stay put. A few moments later, I left the edge and approached Captain, where I wouldn’t be tempted by the salty waves. I asked him if there was anything I could do to help around the ship, but he said no. Disappointed, I walked away. I was left with nothing to do, which didn’t happen very often. Normally I would have a book to read, rooms to clean, or a hold to reorganize. Apparently, that wasn’t the case for today. So I started up toward the helm. Near the helm was my trusty compass that helped the entire crew. My father gave the compass to me when I was four. When he died, I decided to give it to the ship.

What are you doing up here, Carter? asked Jonathan, the first mate. At the time, he was at the helm. Jonathan was seventeen years old, eighteen in three months. His eyes were light blue, and his hair was dirty blond. He was very well built; every muscle in his body had strength. He was about five or six inches taller than me. When Jonathan was ten years old, he joined the crew. My father thought he was a good, strong boy and believed he could survive life on the ship. Jonathan was abandoned by his mother, so his father raised him. His father was a ship builder, so Jonathan spent much of his time studying his father’s work. When his father died, my father brought him aboard. The two of us connected quickly, both being without a mother. He quickly found himself also being looked upon highly in the eyes of Captain back when he was still known as James. When my father died, Walter Heigns became the first mate, but four years later, he died of a fever. Everyone believed that James would choose Fallier or Adam, but he chose Jonathan, Walter’s mate. It shocked everyone. A boy that was only fourteen years old would be second-in-command of the ship. But Captain never cared about age. He’s still a mate, now he merely has a first in the title, Captain had replied to anyone who questioned his decision. He believed that Jonathan had the strength to carry out this massive job. He was right.

Just seeing which way we’re headed, I responded. Curiously, I looked at the needle that pointed north. West…, I mumbled, half to myself. I knew what the meant.

We’re heading toward the ports, Jonathan said, not looking me in the eye. He knew that I didn’t enjoy talking about the ports. I never got to go on the land, and Jonathan was well aware of that. We went three or four times every year, and I spent every visit in the dark holds of the ship. Captain assured me that the land was too dangerous for a girl like me, but all I could find dangerous was sand getting in my eyes.

With this in mind, I slowly approached Captain. He turned and looked at me dead in the eye. The two of us stood there for a moment. Then I smiled and began to open my mouth to ask the question I had asked every year for at least the past five years of my life. But Captain cut me off before I even spoke a word. Why did I think that this time would be any different?

I already know what you are going to ask, and the answer is still no, Captain said sternly.

Oh, come on! Please! I never have felt grass or sand, climbed a tree or walked down a road. Every girl in the world gets to do it every day. Why can’t I? I begged.

You know exactly why, Captain replied. We promised your father we would keep you safe. And being a ship girl, there is a lot of risk. You could easily get kidnapped by another captain. This port is in a bad part of town, anyways, Captain explained. It was the same speech I had heard every year, and I was continuing on with the same argument.

Besides, I went on, ignoring Captain’s reasoning, I’ve never seen another girl my age in my entire life!

You’ll be safe here. Out on the land, you won’t be. You are not leaving. End of discussion, he said bluntly. With that, I trudged myself to my room. My forecastle was below deck and the closest one to starboard. In my forecastle was my bed, hundreds of books, which had been my only form of discovering the land for the past fifteen years, and my dresser that was full of old men’s clothing. I sat on my bed and looked out the porthole and saw waves crash against the glass. The more I looked out to sea, the more I yearned to touch the land, real land. Not the land I imagined. Not the kind that only lived in my books. The land that I was forbidden to touch, that was the land I wanted to walk on. Captain said the land was dangerous, and it probably was. But I can handle it! Interrupting my thoughts, I heard some familiar squeaks and whistles.

Sunset and Dawn! I exclaimed to myself as I jumped out of my bed and ran back up to the main deck; I was moving so quickly I could barely feel my feet touch the deck before taking the next step. Before Captain had even spotted me, I was diving into the water.

Carter! Be careful! yelled Captain from behind me. But I had already splashed into the ocean. The salty water moistened my dry lips. My tan skin was cooled in the ocean water. Dawn and Sunset squeaked and whistled. Since I had no other girls to talk to, I learned to speak dolphin, so I understood everything that they were saying, or at least, most everything. Some squeaks were too high for me to hear, and sometimes the patterns they whistled made no sense, but for the most part, I had taught myself to speak dolphin. It took years to be fluent enough for a decent conversation.

Where have you been? they squeaked.

Aboard the ship, I whistled back.

It seems like it has been ages since we last swam with you, Carter! Dawn exclaimed. I laughed at her exaggeration.

I spent the whole day with you guys yesterday! I reminded her. The memories of playful laughter echoed in my mind but were interrupted as I heard a voice on the ship call my name. It was Captain.

Sir? I answered.

Please ask your dolphin friends what the weather is like up ahead, he demanded gently. I turned to my ‘dolphin friends,’ as Captain referred to them, and translated for them.

Well, where are you off to? Sunset squeaked.

The floating town, I replied. It was the closest translation I could think of. They seemed to understand.

Well, there are a few patches of gray, but it’s mostly clear, Dawn explained. I nodded in response.

Fair weather, I yelled up to Captain. I spoke with Sunset and Dawn, giving them an update on my recent situation, explaining how, once again,